Dark Gold
by Sanctuary-Enigma
Summary: Kaoru is young talented woman who is trying to support both Yahiko and herself. Kenshin is a man who lusts for both darkness and blood. When he meets Kaoru, will she be his salvation, or his down fall?
1. The Beginning

Dear readers, this story is rated restricted.  If you are major enough to read this story, then go ahead and please feel free to read it.  I got this idea to write this story from reading a book.  This story carries that name of the book called Dark Gold by Christina Feehan.  The super natural ideas, I must warn are not my own.  Instead they come from that very book.  The story may sound alike to the book, but trust me; from the ending of this chapter and the next chapter you'll see the big difference.  If you think I shouldn't continue with this story, then I'll gladly stop writing this fic.  Anyways the whole idea of ff.net is for writers like ourselves to write what's on our mind, so please don't be harsh in your reviews.  Whatever opinions you may have, I will completely understand it.  Well enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series.  Plus I don't own Christina Feehan's ideas, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money. : (

The Beginning

Chapter One

               "We can't be late for this business opportunity.  His meeting is the meeting that will determine our lives." Kaoru Kamiya parked her beaten up Volkswagen in the parking lot behind the restaurant.

               "Don't worry we are already here sister," said the younger boy sitting besides Kaoru.  She couldn't help but look at her brother and smile.  He meant everything to her since he was the only family member she had left.  He was only four years old when their parents died.  Since that horrible day, Kaoru made a vow to protect her bother and always be there for him.

               "Okay if you say so.  Are you sure you're going to be okay hanging out in the back of the restaurant Yahiko," she said looking at her brother with concern.

               "Yes sis.  Go inside there and ace your interview.  Remember be strong."

               "Sorry the baby sitter couldn't stay behind; well she was um… sick."

               "No you mean drunk," Yahiko corrected his sister solemnly.  Kaoru looked at her younger brother with shock in her sapphire eyes.  She couldn't believe her brother knew that.  She remembered she told him specifically to go into his room.  Instead of going he stayed behind and heard everything.  However now finding out the real truth really didn't hurt her, because she could never be mad at her younger brother.

               As both of them got out the car, Kaoru held on to bother her brother's hand with one hand and her other hand held her slim portfolio.  She made sure her suit wasn't mess up; after all it cost her whole month salary.  She truly believed the suit was worth it, because she needed to have a sophisticated look, in order to impress her boss, or going to be boss.

               "How do I look Yahiko?  Do I look professional enough to ace the job?" Kaoru asked her brother.

               "I think you look perfect.  I know you're going to get the job," said her brother confidently.  Kaoru smiled.  She felt more confident then she ever felt before.  Knowing she picked out a suit to make her appearance more sophisticated, knowing she had talent, she believed she had a good opportunity of getting the job.  The job was really important to both her and her brother.  Actually it would decide their future.  Kaoru wanted to give her brother a better life, a better opportunity, better chances, and this job could give her just that.  Right now, both she and Yahiko lived in a rattrap boarding house patronized mainly by prostitutes, alcoholics, and drug users.  It wasn't the right place for a kid like Yahiko to grow up in.

               "Thanks now stay here with Henry, while I'll go attend to business.  I promise to check up on you as much as I can okay," stated Kaoru who looked at her brother affectionately.  Her brother nodded and left her sight.  With a great sigh, Kaoru left her brother and headed towards the restaurant.  The view by the restaurant left her awed.  Beyond the trees, a pathway led to the cliffs, to reveal the gentle calm sea.  The waves sparkled it true brilliant diamonds, showing the beauty of the sunset.  Kaoru wished she had her pencil and her paper to draw and catch the beautiful scenery before her.

               _No I can't be watching the sunset now.  I have to be inside there, trying to get this job.  This is my chance to help Yahiko have a better life Kaoru thought to herself.  She mentally slapped herself, for being distracted and headed towards the restaurant._

               Enishi Yukishiro, the genius behind the top-selling, wildly imaginative video and computer games featuring vampires and demons, was looking for a new graphic designer.  Enishi had graced the cover of nearly every magazine that counted.  And he was intrigued in Kaoru's samples to request a meeting.  If it was one thing Kaoru knew about herself, was the fact she was talented.  She only hoped her appearance could help her land the job.  Usually her appearance was youthful making her look younger then her normal age, which was the age of twenty-three.  She was competing with more experienced designers then herself.

                  As Kaoru walked into the restaurant, she saw a different life, she never expected to see.  In the restaurant soft music can be heard from a distant, in the ceiling beautiful crystal chandeliers showed off its glitters, and beautiful jungle plants giving the restaurant a glamorous look.  Kaoru was awed at the sight in front of her.  The room was divided into small little nooks, its huge fireplaces, gave it a huge warm intimate feeling. 

               "I'm meeting Mr. Yukishiro.  Has he arrived yet?" asked Kaoru giving him the best polite smile she could put on.

               "Right this way," said them man, nodding in approval, as the young woman stood before him.  He led her to the number one, most important matter in Kaoru's life that would determine her faith.

               Enishi Yukishiro almost choked on his scotch as the beautiful Kaoru Kamiya approached his table.  He often brought his dates into this restaurant, but this young woman was a decided improvement.  She was on the short side, slender but with full curves and fantastic legs.  Her large sapphire eyes were fringed with dark lashes, her mouth lush and sexy.  Her raven hair was twisted into a sever chignon that emphasized her classic bone structure and high cheekbones.  She didn't seem aware of the attention she was creating, the young waiter, seemed to look like he was escorting royalty.

               Enishi watched her every detail, making sure he was not missing out a thing from her.  From her appearance alone, she looked cool and untouched.  He knew just by watching her, she needed this job, and even though he was fifteen years her senior, with money, influence, and fame, he could make her or break her.  He made sure to enjoy every single pleasure of time while he was with her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Yukishiro," she said softly as her melodious voice played over his skin like fingertips.

               "Yes it a pleasure to meet you Ms. Kamiya," he said back softly, watching her with his aqua eyes, as he took her hand gently and kissed it.  Her sapphire, which captivated him, the most carried so much innocence, while the language of her body spoke of sexiness, and being untouched.  Enishi wanted this woman.  Never in his whole life had he ever wanted a woman, as much as he wanted this woman, and he set his mind on claiming her as his.  "Shall we sit?"

               Kaoru smacked herself mentally, for not taking a seat in the first place.  Now she wondered what he must think of her.  She took her seat as gracefully as she could; meanwhile she clasped both of her hands together, to help her nervousness.  She didn't know how to start off the conversation, and the look in his aqua eyes made her ever more intense, and nervous.

               "This is a beautiful restaurant.  Do you often come here?" she asked pleasantly, trying to sound polite as she can possibly sound.

               Enishi felt his heart leap.  So Kaoru was interested in him as a man?  Why else would she ask such a question?  It sounded like she was fishing information from his personal life.  He lifted one eyebrow and smiled a refreshing smile.  "It's my favorite restaurant."

               He continued to look at Kaoru, with the smug look in his eyes.  She shrugged it off, as she started to talk on a professional level with him.  "I've brought some sketches with me.  Some samples, ideas you had for your next game.  I've known you've been using John Randolph's pictures for your next game.  He's very good, very artistic and talented, but I don't think he can capture what you envision.  I see so much darkness, so much power, so much more."

Enishi was startled.  He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing.  Everything the young woman said was true.  Yes John Randolph, a famous computer graphic designer was talented, and very creative, but he wasn't able to draw the pictures as Enishi envisioned them.  That was the main reason why he requested this meeting with this young woman.  Her drawings captured his every detail; it was like the both of them shared the same mind.  However Kaoru's professionalism irritated him.  She looked so cool and untouched.  And from the way she acted, she only wanted to talk business with him, when usually women would throw themselves at him.

               On the other hand, Kaoru saw the annoyance and irritated look in his eyes.  She knew she got off at a bad start with him.  She never expected that to happen.  She needed the job desperately, and making a more feminine approach to him, seemed like her last way out of this desperate situation.  Situations like this always happened to her.  She sighed inwardly.  She never seemed honestly attracted to anyone in their neighborhood due to her responsibilities with her younger brother Yahiko.  Now she secretly thought she was truly frigid.  But she could fake it if she had too.

               With Enishi's next comment, it proved her right.

               "Don't you think it's too early to talk business?" he asked softly.

Kaoru blinked away a gorilla from her mind and give Enishi a flirtatious smile, while he poured her Champaign.  They talked as a normal couple would when they were on a date.  Enishi every now and then held her hand, when he made warm simple comments to her.

               She managed to get away from him once to check up on Yahiko.  She found him sitting with Henry playing Black Jack.  She smuggled some food for Yahiko, making sure her little brother was all right.  She hated to be apart from him; after all he was the real reason why she lived.  It was all for him.

               "Go back inside, will you.  You have a job to get.  Did you forget that?" demanded old Henry, as he looked Kaoru with a gentle smile on his face.

               "No I haven't forgotten, just make sure you take care of him old man," Kaoru said as she walked back inside the restaurant to take her place beside Enishi.  But before she could enter the restaurant, she felt the wind pick up, blowing the sea towards land.  The mist was seeping in, shadowing the trees and other things.  Kaoru couldn't help but run her hands over her arms.  It wasn't all that cold, but the atmosphere felt different, almost like there was something-evil heading towards this way.  It took all her courage, to put her surroundings in back of her mind, as she entered the restaurant.  She made her back to the table reserved for her and Enishi.

               Meanwhile Enishi liked the attention he was getting.  Every man envied him tonight, because he was here with a beautiful, intelligent, and attractive young woman.  As he saw Kaoru approached their table, he couldn't help but be enthralled by her beauty.  There was something about her that made him think about long nights, full of untamed passion.

He ran his long fingers on her hand, as if examining her.  "You're cold," he observed.  He acted like a blundering schoolboy, while she acted cool, her untouched siren, making him squirm.

               "On my way back from the ladies room, I couldn't help but take a step outside for some fresh breeze.  The sea looked so beautiful tonight, but it seems to be acting up a bit."  Her eyes seemed to hold a thousand secrets, while her long lashes covered up every emotion behind them.

               Enishi had to find some way to control his feelings for this young woman.  Somehow she was the only woman he ever met, who made him feel this way.  She made him want her, desire her, making him want to claim her as his.

               Kaoru sat herself down beside Enishi, and as they talked she couldn't help but feel worried over her brother.  The sky got darker and darker, the aura of the night called out to Kaoru, making her want to leave the restaurant and go to whoever was calling her.  Then all of a sudden she felt icy fingers, wrapped themselves around her throat, choking the very air she breathed.  She felt her body shivered with fear, and grew increasingly uncomfortable.  Kaoru put her hands to her throat to feel any other hand was there, but there was nothing.  Everything felt normal, but the illusion felt so real.

               "Are you sure you don't want to drink some of the finest wine you'll ever taste?" Enishi asked.

               "No thank you.  I seldom drinks."  She reused his offer many times, and resisted asking him if he had a hearing problem.  She didn't drink mainly because of Yahiko.  She didn't want to influence him the wrong way; instead she wanted to raise him properly, so he would know the difference between right and wrong.

               Enishi sighed audibly.  Women he knew would fawn themselves at him, but Kaoru was immune to his charms, and out of his reach.  Still, she captivated him, intrigued him, and he had to claim her as his.  He knew this job was important to her, and he would use that if he had to.  He knew there was something beneath Kaoru, almost like a fiery fire that was waiting to be unlocked from the deeper depths within her.  He looked forward to enjoying some hot, steamy sex with her.

               Then Enishi looked within her slim portfolio and what he saw there captured him in its spells.  Kaoru's drawings were precise, were accurate to the way he envisioned his characters to look like in the next game.  He turned to look at Kaoru with an appreciative gaze.  She was exactly what he wanted, with her talents, her inventive approach.  He definitely got what he wanted.

               "They were just quick sketches," she said softly, "without the animation but I hope you get the idea."  She forgot how uncomfortable she was, or how much she didn't like Enishi, as she glanced at him looking over her work with an appreciative view.

               From Kaoru's gaze at him, she could tell he was very impressed by her talented skills.  She hoped that he would take her in.  She needed the job desperately and he was the only one who could give her the job.  She hoped her talent could land her the job, that it would be enough.

               Enishi was rather impressed by the young woman.  Not only was she beautiful, intelligent, and attractive, but she was talented too.  If she did these sketches so fast, then imagine when it's turn into animation he wondered.  This woman was able to make the vampires look so real.  There was one picture, which fascinated him the most.  In this picture, it took place in a battle scene, there were so much bloodshed, so much dead bodies, and the character standing in the middle of the scene with long blood red hair in a high ponytail, swaying with the wind captured his attention.  The way Kaoru drew the man, the predator, she envisioned him perfectly.  "You have extreme talent and skill.  You have such a gift for detail.  Continue the good work.  Watching these pictures makes me feel as if you were in my mind.  I've never met someone who could capture exactly, precisely, whatever I envisioned and you were able to do that.  You show a lot of promise."

               Kaoru couldn't help, but feel very praised; she watched her work with pride, all her feelings of nervousness and anxiety forgotten.  "I really appreciate such delightful comments on my work Mr. Yukishiro."

               But then suddenly a cold draft streamed into the restaurant with a taint of evil.  It crawled all over Kaoru's flesh like worms crawling on her skin.  Her insides felt like rebelling, while she sat back on her chair, trembling, and her skin pale.  She looked around her to see if anyone was acting up just like her.  No one noticed the thickening air, or the stench of evil.  There was laughter everywhere.  It normalcy should have reassured her, but the trembling only increased.  She felt sweat beading on her forehead, running down the valley of her breasts.  Her heart was thumping loudly.

               Enishi did seem to notice anything; all his attention was on her drawings, and all the rich details her drawings showed.

               Something went terribly wrong.  Kaoru knew that much.  Kaoru knew the very moment her parents died.  She knew when a terrible crime happened.  She knew who drug dealers were, when someone lied, she just knew things.  And right now while she was here with Enishi, she felt something evil, something malevolent just lurking right around the corner.  It called out to her, telling, forcing her to do its bidding, but Kaoru had a strong will power, she had a strong mind, and it will take more then someone trying to possess her to make her do their bidding.  Just as she sat there trembling, she saw three young women stop their hysterical laughing, got up from their seats and headed outside the restaurant.  Kaoru wanted to stop them, to scream to them not to go anywhere.  Instead she stood frozen still in her seat, hearing the forbidden words calling out to her.

               _Come to me my precious.  Come to me.  Be here with me.  Let me show you the world.  Let me feast on you.  The words continued to repeat over and over in her head, calling her.  It felt like shards of glass struck her skull.  The voice quiet whispering, calling to her calmly, yet evilly._

Blindly Kaoru got up, and shoved her drawings into her portfolio, but her shaky hands made the sketches spilled all over the table and the floor.  "I'm sorry Mr. Yukishiro.  I've got to leave."  Her reaction towards Enishi sent him sprawling backyards on his chair, while she gathered the last of her sketches, and shoved them into her portfolio.  Her mind was dizzy, and her stomach rolled.

               "You're ill.  Let me take you home," Enishi insisted, as he grabbed her arm and headed out the restaurant.  Kaoru jerked her arm away from him; her only thought was to run to Yahiko immediately.  Whatever, whoever was outside the restaurant, wanted her.  Those three women, Henry and most of all Yahiko were all in grave danger.  Kaoru had to do something, say something to get away from Enishi and go protect her little brother.  She would never forgive herself if something bad happened to Yahiko.

               She turned and ran away from him, and the uncaring stares she received.  She needed to get to her brother and save him.  She needed him now.  She ran down the stairs, and on her way she tripped, when she caught the hem of her skirt, she heard the rip.  She felt as if her heart exploded, as if there was blood coming from her chest.  She looked down at her hands, expecting to see her blood, but it was someone else's blood.  

               Kaoru bit the bottom of her lip really hard enough to draw her own blood.  She felt pain, real pain that came from her.  As she ran down the path towards the cliff, she smelled blood, and was experiencing the lingering vibrations, the aftermath of violence.  Sobbing, she hoped and prayed it wasn't Yahiko who died.  She hoped he was still alive, after all he was so young.

               "Please don't let him be dead.  Please let him still be alive.  Oh God please!" Kaoru sobbed, as she ran towards the cliff.  There the fog became thicker, and much denser.  The fogs lingered around the trees giving it an eerie white wall.  Why did she leave Yahiko all alone with an old man?  She should have taken him in the restaurant with her; instead she left him out here.

               As Kaoru headed towards the cliff, she couldn't see where she was going because of the thick fog.  Feeling her way around, she stumbled over a body.  "Oh, God!  Please don't let it be Yahiko," she whispered out loud.  Reaching closer to examine the body, she observed the body was way to big to be her younger brother.   As the dead body lay cold and motionless in a pathetic heap on the ground, Kaoru turned his body to examine him.  What she saw stopped her heart for a second, her breath caught in her throat.  Henry's heart was literally torn out, exposed and still.  Around his neck, were ragged wounds that only a wild animal could make.

               Kaoru got up from her kneeling position.  Whoever did this to Henry, an old man who was kind and gentle will never get her brother.  Whatever may occur tonight, Kaoru vowed to make sure her brother wouldn't get hurt.  She had to save him from the lunatic man, the mad man who was here because of her.

               Despite the strong winds, that didn't stop Kaoru from heading towards the cliffs.  Beside the howling noise the wind made, she could hear the waves crashing against the jagged rocks below.  Through the thick fog, she caught glimpses of horror unraveling before her.  The same women from the restaurant made their way to the cliff.  The women looked like they were all under some kind of trance, as they headed towards a man who was standing on the cliff by himself.  He was tall and slender, but gave a great impression of great power and strength.  His face was beautiful, like that of Adonis, his hair shoulder-length and wavy. When he smiled, his teeth were white, but he looked very much like a predator.

               The beauty on the creature's face was just an illusion, Kaoru realized.  His hands had blood, his welcoming smile on the three women, showed his true real colors, the fangs he'll used to thread their throats to pieces.

               The three women were smiling, adoring, reaching out for him.  When he pointed the floor, they all bowed before him waiting for him to make his command.  Then he told them to come to him, and almost sensually they crawled towards him, seductively purring at him, cuddling him with their small hands.

               Kaoru turned away at the horror unraveling before her.  These three women were being used like puppets, but what definitely caught her eyes was her little brother Yahiko.  He walked towards the evil man, like if he was under a trance.  Kaoru had to stop her brother, before something bad will happen to him.  She tried to analyze what how her bother and the three women were trance under his spell, but she couldn't figure exactly how he was able to do so to them.  Yahiko walked in slow motion towards the cliff, like if some unknown force was pulling him.

               Although the thick fog did cover her up just fine, she could feel unearthly eyes watching her every move, taking in her every detail.  Then all of a sudden Kaoru felt many things beating against her skull, like glass shattering and bat wings, but no matter what Kaoru ignored the pain, her mind was only focusing on one thing, to save her brother.

               Kaoru caught the shirt Yahiko was wearing.  She planted her feet on the ground to stop him from moving any closer to the evil monster, the predator.  Wrapping her arms around the child, she faced the hideous monster.  Three women were purring, moaning against the man, craving his attention, but all his undivided attention went to Kaoru.  He smiled a feral smile, showing off his bloody fangs, the same blood that came from old Henry.

               "Come to me my precious."  He held out his hand to her.

               Those words played over and over in her head.  The compelled her to give in to him.  They compelled her to do his bidding.  But she looked at his bloody fangs, his bloody talons.  His voice, which once held beauty, came out harsh, his words became raw.

               "I won't come to you.  Never will I get close to you.  Leave my brother and me alone," said Kaoru with full determination in her voice.  Her blue eyes blazed with defiance.

               Absently he caressed one f the women who clung to his waist.  "Come to me.  Look how these women cling to me, like if I'm their only master.  They adore me."

               "Keep fooling yourself."  She took a step back with her brother in her arms, but when she did, he started thrashing around, forcing himself to get closer to the monster.

               The monster on the cliff raised his eyebrow.  "You do not believe me.  Then I'll show you."  He turned his attention to woman who clung to his waist.  "My dear woman, I wish you to die for me this instance."

               To Kaoru's horror, the woman bowed her head obediently, let him go, and walked past him to very edge of the cliff.  "No!" Kaoru yelled, but the woman threw herself off the cliff, to the harsh waves below.  Then he grabbed the second woman, kissed her fully on the lips, and bit her.  He drained the very once of life she had left within her.  The vivid drawing Kaoru drew were depicting Enishi's horror stories, and coming to life right before her eyes.  After the monster was done with killing two women, he lifted the last women in his arms, held her high above his head, and with audible sign of thunder in the sky, a crack could be heard within the raging heavens above.  Kaoru couldn't do anything but watch everything in horror. She cried for those who died by this hideous beast, and now what he wanted was she.  She was willing to give herself, as long as he didn't hurt her brother Yahiko.

               "Don't you see the power I hold upon those three women. They adored me so much, that anything I told them to do, they were willing to do it for me.  But they were useless. They weren't the ones I was looking for.  I was looking for you.  You're my woman who will deliver me from hell, and give me something I once had."  His tone was soft, but it held a whip of warning, a hiss of command.

               Kaoru didn't know what to do, or what to say.  She fought with her little brother Yahiko, because he wanted to go into the monster hands.  Kaoru couldn't do that, plus she wouldn't let him go anywhere near the monster.  If that monster wanted anything, he will not have her brother, or her.  Deep down inside, her mind knew she didn't stand a chance against the predator, the monster, but her heart knew someone was going to rescue them from the clutches of this evil horrible madman. 


	2. The Struggle for Hope

Sorry to all my readers for taking long to update this story.  Actually this story was mostly asked by most of you.  I'm glad you really liked it.  To thank you all I wrote eleven pages for you to read.  I hope you have a lot of fun reading it, as I had much fun writing it.  To warn all of you, most of the ideas in this story is not my own.  I borrowed the plot, the setting, and ideas from a book called **Dark Gold by Christine Feehan.  She's my favorite author so far.  Do feel free to read the book if you like.  This story is alike o that story, yet it has it differences.  If you think I should stop writing this fic, then I'll gladly stop writing it.  But ff.net is all about readers like us to expand our imagination.  Oh Yeah, make sure you are old enough to read this story, because it's rated restricted for its contents.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series and Christine Feehan story and ideas, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money.  I'm poor. : (

The Struggle for Hope

Chapter two

               Kaoru straightened herself very slowly.  Within mere seconds, Yahiko was out of her arms, her grasp and went running to the vicious monster.  Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat, as she watched the bloody claws sink into her brother's shoulders.

               "You will comply to me now, now that I have your brother?" the monster inquired softly.

               Kaoru had to find some determination, some strength.  She slowly lifted her trembling chin to look at the monster before her.  "Is this what you call free will?  If you're using my brother to get me to comply with your wishes, then you know nothing of free will."  She challenged him, as her rubbery legs moved a few steps closer to him.

               The monster now became annoyed.  He let a low hiss, as he quickly grabbed the leg of the boy and held him over the cliff's edge.  "Sine you speak and seem to care so much about free will, then I'll let go of your brother, and not only that, but free his mind as well so he can know how painful death is like."  His claws clinched together, as he said every single word slowly and precisely so the young woman who was stubborn can digest his every word.

               His words seemed to open Kaoru's mind, propelled her into doing his bidding.  Now she felt so much fear for her brother's life.  She loved him so much; she couldn't stand to have anything happen to him.  He was so young and innocent, yet this monster was willing to end his life so easily, as he took the other three women's life.  She stumbled forward the last few remaining feet.  "Please I beg you to give him back to me!  Please don't drop him!"  There was so much pain in her voice, but it only fed the monster's excitement.

               He laughed the horrible laugh, which echoed through the night, as Yahiko came back to life, screaming his lungs off.   As he soon realized his situation.  He screamed for his sister, his chocolate brown eyes, full of fear rested on her face, for she was his only salvation.  Kaoru could do nothing else but fight the monster, but it was useless, because the monster fended her off with one hand, while he held Yahiko with his other hand.

               With every energy she had left inside her, Kaoru braced herself in front of the monster, standing perfectly still, so she could look deep into his evil eyes.  "You don't need to use him anymore.  Just please give him to me."

               "If I want you to comply to me, then he will be very useful for me to use.  In order to ensure your corporation, I have a lot of further use for him."  He removed Yahiko from over the cliff, and set him aside.  He waved his hand in the air; to ward off anymore screaming from him, his full attention was kept on Kaoru.  "You will join me, and become what I am.  Together we shall walk the earth, ruling every part.  Everyone will live in fear when they see us come.  We will have powers then you can ever imagine."

               "But I don't want such power, and never do I want any power such as that," she protested, as edged closer to her brother, to snatch him away from the clutches of the horrible monster.  "You say that I'm something you're looking for, but I'm not.  You haven't even known that I existed until tonight."

               The monster looked at the woman who stood before him.  As he examined her pale features, he couldn't help but laugh.  "I'm nothing ordinary.  I know about you from your brother's mind, but trust me when I do say I am far from human."

               "Who are you?"  Kaoru held her breath, afraid what his answer might be, to know the story, the knowledge of what people thought to be legend, to be myth, was really true.  That a powerful beast walked the earth that had power to control people's minds, control actions, draw people, and draw people to him, even from a far distance.  From what he did to old Henry, those three women, Kaoru knew he was no human.

               "I'm just a figment of the imagination, the fear of humans.  I'm a vampire who walks through the night, feeding on the living, hunting the weak, and reveling in their pain.  And you are my bride to be, who'll share my glory."

               Kaoru heard what she didn't want to hear.  He said it all perfectly seriously.  She didn't know what to do.  She was torn between the needing to laugh hysterically, or to cry from knowing the real truth.  She realized now that everything about Enishi's game was true.  The way Enishi portrayed the vampires in his game, was exactly how the monster before her acted.  How did Enishi do it?

               "Your life… it isn't my type of life," she whispered softly.  Here she was pleading for her life and Yahiko's life, when she already knew her answer.  But then how did one address such insanity?

               "You think you could easily get away from this situation by begging.  My little precious one, when will you ever learn?  When a vampire made up their mind, they made up their mind.  There's nothing you could do to change that."  The monster grabbed Yahiko's shoulder and held it very tightly between his fingers.  Kaoru gasped in fear when she saw her brother's blood.

               _Please come up with something.  Try something, anything to stall him from hurting Yahiko any further.  Kaoru thought fast, as her sapphire eyes watched the red rich liquid fall to the floor.  "I was serious when I said what I said.  I like the sunshine.  Vampires like to hang out at night.  I hate wine, let alone blood.  But I do know this place, actually it's a bar, where you could meet a lot of girls who wears a lot of black and worships the devil.  They may even drink blood.  You see me; I'm completely opposite then that.  I'm ultra conservative."_

               What was she doing?  Why was she having a conversation with a vampire that was killing her brother?  Wasn't there anyone who was around?  Anyone who could help her at all?   How long can she continue to keep him busy, to prevent him from injuring Yahiko any further?

               The vampire's laughter was soft and taunting.  "You think someone could help you?  No one can?  I can draw them closer to me if I want to, or keep them away from me."

               "Why me?"

               "Because you're one of them.  Your mind was strong enough for me not to control, meaning that you're a true physic.  There are a few women born into this world who are like you.  My kind requires that kind of mate."

               "I don't know any of the knowledge you speak of.  But I do admit there are things that I know others don't know," she conceded, while she raised a trembling hand to push her hair back.  "I knew you were here, if that's what you were talking about."  Kaoru trembled in fear for both her brother and herself.  She had to get him out of here, before the situation became any worse then it already was.  She hoped that someone will come and rescue her brother and her.  She felt as though someone was going to rescue her and her brother from the clutches of the vampire hands.  "Look, please I beg you to let me take Yahiko home.  I promise to come back here tomorrow night to meet you.  You don't need him.  If I don't return, you could always find me."  She so hated to look at what this evil monster did to her precious brother.  He looked so lifeless, his body limp, his eyes glassy.  She wanted nothing more then to run to him, and hold him close.  To protect him and hold him forever.  If she could save him, nothing else would matter, not even her own life.

               "I cannot and will not let you go.  There are others who will want you for themselves.  My duty is to protect you from them.  I must stay near you at all times."

               Kaoru rubbed her pounding temples with her palms.  The creature was fighting constantly through her mental shields to invade her mind.  From the constant struggling Kaoru knew her defenses were beginning to crumble.  Keeping him out of her head became very painful for her.  "Do you have a name?  Anything I could call you?"

               "Do you wish to be very polite to me?" he asked while laughing at her.

               "Yes I think it's better to get off of this kind of start."  Her constant struggling to remain in control was completely going in vain.  Somehow she had to get away from him and find some way to save Yahiko.  Like she mentioned earlier, she didn't care about her life, but the life of her younger brother.  Deliberately she dug her nails into her palms and concentrated on the sensation to keep her mind focused.

               "If you want to be civilized by all means, then no problem.  My name is Shishio Makoto.  I originally came from the Carpathian  Mountains.  You may have noticed my accent."

               Kaoru stretched out her arms.  She couldn't stop herself.  She felt so weak, so helpless.  "Please, I beg you to let my brother go, Mr. Makoto.  He 's just a little boy."

               "If you wish to keep him alive, then you must comply to my every wish.  We can make something mutually beneficial between us.  Do you agree?"

               Kaoru allowed her hands to fall at her sides.  She failed to have her brother in her arms, but she didn't fail to save his life.  And that was all that matter.  She was exhausted, frightened, and her head hurt terribly.  Somehow the monster knew her discomfort, she knew he felt her defense weakening, his voice inside her head drove her crazy.  "Yes I'll go, but please leave my brother here alive."

               "No my precious, I can't and won't do that.  Come here to me now."

               She went to him reluctantly.  She had no other choice.  Yahiko was her everything, her life, her happiness.  She loved him more then anything, and was willing to give her life up, if it meant to save his.  He was all she had, and if something happened to him, she would be nothing.  The moment Shishio touched her, she felt sickened.  His bloodstained hand caught her upper arm, and drawled her towards him.  He dropped the unconscious boy to the floor, and held a firm grip on Kaoru's arm as she made a move to go her brother.

               "Stop, you're hurting me.  You don't need to get yourself worked up.  I was just going to check on my brother," Kaoru said.  Being in such contact, being so close to evil made her stomach churn, she feared that she might vomit from his dark threatening aura.

               "Leave him alone for the time being."  His finger tightened, as he fully drawled her to his hard body.   She could smell his fetid breath, the scent of blood and death.  His pure white skin felt so clammy and cold.

               Kaoru struggled to break free from his grip.  She tried to escape, but it was useless.  If she compared herself to him, her strength was compared nothing to his, he could easily crush her if he chose too.  Shishio bent closer to her neck, his breath was hot and foul, as his lips touched her skin.

               "Please don't, oh God no!," Kaoru whispered, her voice faltering on her.  The way she was being held, if the vicious monster decided to let her go, she would fall helplessly to the ground.  Her knees buckled, as she waited for his teeth to sink into her skin.

               "Your God has failed you," he whispered.  His teeth pierced her skin, causing her to cry out in pain briefly.  He dragged her closer to his body as he fed hungrily from her, her blood, her life flowing into his veins giving him ultimate power.  He nearly crushed her small frame with his larger body.  She could feel his fangs inside her as he drunk, drained her body.  He connected them somehow in a dark ugly way.  She weakened, went sluggish, her heart stuttered and labored.  Her lashes swept down as she mentally screamed at herself to keep herself awake, to fight and live for Yahiko.  She could have sworn she saw black dots swirl and filled her vision, and she slumped heavily against the vampire's frame.

               He lifted his head slowly to watch the helpless woman he held in his arms.  "Now you must drink to live."  His teeth tore his own wrist opened, and pressed it to her lips.  He watched as his tainted blood dripped into her mouth.

               Kaoru had enough life in her to avoid ingesting the hideous liquid.  She tried so hard to move her head, so badly to keep her mouth shut, but he was too powerful.  He forced her to drink his tainted poisonous blood, while he stroked her precious throat, savoring every swallow she took of his tainted poisonous blood.  But he didn't replace most of the blood he had taken from her, mainly because he wanted her weak, he wanted her amendable to do his bidding.

               Shishio dropped his victim beside her brother and lifted his proud head to the world, the dark endless world he knew.  The woman's blood was hot, sweet, and so full of life.  After all his endless years of living he finally found her.  The one who would provide him his need, his emotions, the very life he once owned.  Once upon a time he had feelings, he was able to feel happy, sad, worried, etc.  Then he met her, the one who he truly loved with all his heart, but because of his pride, he lost the very one he loved.  Her name was Yumi, a sweet seductive temptress.  She was human, while he was a Carpathian.  The time when his race was dying out because most of their Carpathian women were gone, he fell for a human woman.  The match was incompatible.  A human can never intermingle with a Carpathian, unless she had secret powers.  She had to be born with a special gift others couldn't do.  Yumi did have secret powers, but her love for him was not strong enough to unite them both.  From the night he lost her, the night she ceased to exist in this world, he gave himself into the darkness, becoming a vampire, the fear of people.  He walked the night ever since looking for a replacement of his long lost love, and finally he found her.  The long nights of searching, the time he spent alone, he finally found his woman who'll take over Yumi's place, and he could have his revenge on Battousai.

               The weak instinctive woman's movement brought back his full attention.  Just now he was wondering about his past, that he didn't even notice the woman was still conscious.  He snarled with jealousy when he saw her cradled her brother's head.  Many would want her, but he won't let them have her for she was his and his alone.  Once the transformation was complete she will come to him on her own free will.  The boy she was cradling now, would be the same boy she will no longer need.  He could get rid of the brat and have the woman to himself.  Shishio picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt, tossed him aside like he was some ragged puppet, and looked into the woman's eyes.

               Kaoru managed to sit up.  Her head hurt, everything seemed to be turning in circles for her.  It was impossible to know her location.  All that mattered to her was her brother's safety.  She knew the vampire's initiative.  He wanted to make her like him, but she vowed to never be like him, because she would die before turning like him.

               Without further warning Kaoru leaped to save her brother.  Her arms outstretched to catch her brother's limp form, however due to the sudden impact of catching him, she found herself falling through midair.  She never calculated her consequence, when she launched herself forward to catch her brother.  In doing what she did, she threw her brother and herself off the cliff.  The wind rushed around them, through them.  The salty moisture in the atmosphere stung yet cleansed them.  The waves beat furiously against the jagged rocks below welcoming and making their sea grave.  Kaoru was willing to die but not like this.  She closed her eyes, held her brother tightly in her arms, waiting for the sudden traumatic incident, waiting for death to claim them.

               Talons caught her, wings flapped.  Her enemy saved them for their very doom.  Kaoru cried when the talons bit into her skin, as if punishing her for doing her misdeed.  The huge bird carried her brother and her away, from their only sanctuary into another dark depth of the world, where there wouldn't be a chance for someone to save them.  She held tightly to her brother praying that she would never let him go, praying that some miracle would happen, that someone will come to their rescue.  A few tears escaped her eyes as she buried her face into her brother's black hair.  Tears burned her throat as well.  She whispered her sorrows, she whispered her apologies to her brother, for not being able to save him from this horrible hideous creature.  She felt sorry for herself, because now she could feel the tainted evil, the presence, and the blood that flowed within her veins, binding them together forever.

               The place was dark, dank, it had a musty yet salty smell.  The place reminded Kaoru of a cave, but there was no entrance to escape from.  The vampire tossed them aside like they weighed merely nothing to him.

               "You will never dare to defy me again, or else I'll make that boy suffer hell, more then you can ever imagine.  Do I make myself clear?" he demanded, as he towered over her.

               Kaoru gulped.  With some courage left inside her drained, battered weak body, she forced herself to sit up and face the hideous vampire.  "Where are we?"

               "This is my lair.  No one can find us, especially that hunter who's been after me."  He laughed harshly as he looked into Kaoru's sapphire eyes and saw puzzlement mixed with fear.  "His senses are confused because of the seawater.  Therefore it would be impossible to find me.  He has killed my kind, but he can never reach me."

               Kaoru scanned her surrounding cautiously.  From what she saw, there was no way to escape.  Somehow she felt a barrier, she saw the salty water reaching her hips, some small waves of salt water, clashed against her skin, on the fresh open wounds the talons gave to her.  On the outside, her face held an impression of fear and a quizzical look, but inside, she cried because of the pain she felt.

               As each tidal wave made their way into the cave, it rose higher clashing against Kaoru and her unconscious brother.  She held him tighter, brought his body closer to hers so she can shelter him from the incoming waves.  She wondered why the vampire would hide himself from a hunter.  Was it possible he feared this man or whatever the hunter was?  Maybe he was the one she knew who was coming to rescue them.

               "The cave winds upward into the mountain, and downward below to the earth.  The farther back one goes, the dryer it would be.  The opposite would be wetter."  He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her with his bloodshot eyes.  "This day might be uncomfortable for you, since I cannot trust you to be around me while I sleep, yet I cannot give you such freedom to roam knowing how clever you are.  You left me no choice but to chain you, to guarantee you don't escape me, plus that you don't get harm.  The waves might get higher, but I know you can manage them.  Though, I don't know about your brother's well being."

"Why are doing this?  Why are you making us suffer?  What don't you kill us and get it over with," Kaoru cried.

               "I have no intention of taking your life.  I'm far from that idea.  Instead I'm going to make you what I am.  You're going to walk in the shadows like me, dwell and revel in people's fear, feast and supplement yourself  with their blood.  I'll guarantee your enjoyment of such."

               "But don't I have to come to you on my own free will?"  There was no way she would ever become like him.  She will never become such a certain type a vampire who takes people's blood, and who lives in the shadows.  There was no way he could ever train her to be like him, unless her used force on her.  But as she thought about not becoming like him, she felt Yahiko stir within her arms.

               The vampire looked down at her.  He picked her up by her arm.  "I'm rather impressed with your abilities.  You are quite strong for a human.  Your mind is very resilient against mine, but you shouldn't test my patience because I could be rather cruel if provoked."

               Kaoru felt a hysterical sobbed in her throat.  It choked the inner life out of her, making the pain inside even more unbearable to go through.  Despite of her weak state, she still held onto her brother.  There was no way she wanted to get on bad sides with this cruel, evil vampire.  After what she witnessed tonight, she thought she could never go to bed peacefully again, that's even if she ever have chance too.

               "Someone will surely miss the three women and Henry," she implied.

 "Who's Henry?" he asked suspiciously, jealousy showed on his face.

               "You should know.  You killed him."

               "The stupid old man.  He got in my way, and died.  Anyways I sensed you in the restaurant defying me, and I used the old man and the boy who belonged to you as puppets.  They fulfilled their purposes.  

               "Is that why you killed him, because I cared for him?"  Kaoru's horror deepened by every second.  Her inside hurt so much she felt as if a thousand nails drilled into her organs, while her heart ached for sweet old Henry.

               "I cannot allow old remnants from your old life to divide your loyalties.  You belong to me, always me, and only me."

               By instinct, Kaoru clutched her brother tighter.  Eventually the vampire was going to kill her bother, just as he killed Henry.  Yahiko would not be in her life anymore.  She had to find some way for him to escape.  The vampire dragged Kaoru deeper into the restless cave.

               "I must get you away from the sun, or else you'll get burned.  Since you're not fully transformed as yet, your body is being held on a thin life, between life and death," said Shishio harshly as he dragged the young battered woman deeper into the cave.

               Kaoru fell several times at the incoming wave, but that still didn't stop her from holding on to her brother tightly.  The vampire continued walking dragging the weak body of the woman behind him.  Somehow the woman feisty ways, the courage behind her fears, the ways she was willing to give her life for another, the intense struggle, her powers, her tenacious mind, reminded him of his beloved Yumi.  This young woman was already beginning to replace her.  Once she became a full vampire, he will know what is like to love again, and he will provide her everything he could ever offer her in life.

               Shishio finally reached the end of his destination.  Carelessly he shoved the young woman and the stupid brat she was holding in her arms against a rock.  Connected to the large rock was a ling silver chain.  At the end of the silver chain was a cuff, which Shishio used to lock her hand in.  He gave her mocked laugh, as the metal cut into her soft skin.  She slumped against the rock uncaring about the incoming waves.  She rested her back against the rock, positioned her brother unconscious form on her body.  She shivered while her teeth chattered.

               "I'm going to rest now, and soon you will too.  When you arise you should fully become what I am," Shishio said harshly, his lips turned into an evil grin.  Then he turned around and absconded into the darkness of the cave.

               In Kaoru's lap, Yahiko suddenly stirred.  He got up, rubbed his eyes, and cried out as he saw the weak state Kaoru was in.  He hugged her, clinging to her.  He was so glad to see her alive.  "He killed Henry Kaoru, he killed him!"

               "I know Yahiko, and I'm sorry you had to witness it," she said very softly, as she rubbed his black hair in a comforting gesture.  "Now listen to me Yahiko, listen to what I want you to do.  The tidal waves are rising.  I want you to look around carefully and see if you see any higher rock you could climb on."

               "I don't want to leave you behind.  I'm so afraid sis." 

               "I know little bro, I am too.  But right now I need you to be very brave for me.  I know you could do it."

               A wave rushed into the cave.  The salt water reached up to her chin.  Some of the salt water got into her mouth, she coughed, and choked on the salt water.  Yahiko saw this and hugged his sister.  "I can't do it sis.  I'm so afraid.  I can't leave you here."

               "Yahiko, please don't worry about me.  Look for higher ground and recover there, please."

               Yahiko gave Kaoru a stubborn look, he shook his head denying her wish.  "No I won't go sis.  I'm staying right here with you."

               Kaoru didn't have the energy to argue with her little brother.  She braced herself to get up.  "Okay then both of us should find higher ground."

               It was nearly impossible to see anything.  The incoming tides clashed against the rocks, making it sound like thunder.  The atmosphere tasted like salt water.  Kaoru shivered violently, her teeth chattered.  Her body felt useless, so drained, she had to support herself against the wall.  The salt caked her hair, the wounds on her body throbbed with pain.  She felt something and saw a higher cliff where Yahiko can be boosted to safety, but the only problem was she wasn't tall enough to boost him.

               The next wave that came in lifted Yahiko off his feet.  He led onto Kaoru's hips in time before he could drift away.  She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall.  "I'm going to stand as long as possible. I'm going to lift you, and then put you on my shoulders.  It won't be so bad."  She tried her best to sound encouraging.

               Yahiko looked scared but he nodded in his in a trusting mannerly way.  "Is the monster coming back to kill us sis?"

               "Yes he is going to come back, and no he isn't going to kill us because he wants something from me.  But if I can hold out a little bit longer we can get ourselves out of this situation."

               'Sis, when he bit you, he laughed in my mind, and told me once you turned to be like him, he was going to drain me of all my blood.  I knew that wasn't true.  You would never do that."

               "Good boy."  She could feel her brother hugged her tighter.  A brief small smile played on her lips, but quickly vanished as it came.  "That's part of his mascilious plan.  He wants to scare us.  Turn against each other.  Always remember one thing, Yahiko, we are always a team no matter what."  She let her head lay on his as the waves came closer to them clashing against them and rising higher.  She was exhausted, her body weak after using its limitation to save her brother, to keep him closer to her.  She prayed silently for the time when the hunter will arrive.  Her heart knew he was going to find them.  It just only took a matter of time, but Kaoru knew she didn't have that much time to live either.

               Dimmed light was streaming into the cave.  Her eyes fell tightly shut.  In her mind she saw images, whirling around.  They moved so fast, she couldn't even put a slow image, a display in her mind.  All she can make out was a bloody red color that came as fast as it went.  She felt liquid, warm liquid enticing her to do things she never did.  It was warm, vivid, and felt so good.  She drank the gulping, her nose being drenched with the warm liquid.  And for a moment when she did open her sapphire eyes, she saw pure golden eyes looking at her, but then it vanished.

               Cries of help, woke her from her deep slumber.  Down by her feet she saw the tidal waves pushing at her brother and then trying to take him away.  He held on as tightly as he could, he nails dug within her skin.  She felt really weak, her knees buckled, any second, her legs might give away.

               "I'm awake Yahiko.  I'm sorry for failing you once," she whispered.  Her throat struggled to say a few words, the pain inside was unbearable, her physical wound throbbed as the sea clashed against her body.  She lifted him up in her arms.  There was no way she can continue this.  She felt like giving up.  She couldn't hold her brother for long.  Her arms were giving away.

               It's so cold Kaoru.  I want to go home."  Yahiko trembled in Kaoru's arms, he clung to her as the tidal waves kept o coming in.

               "I know, I want to go home too.  Just try to get some rest."

               "It hurts doesn't it?"

               "What?"  Just as she asked her question a wave clashed against Kaoru's figure roughly.  For a mere second she almost let Yahiko go.

               "Where the vampire bit you.  You were moaning while you were sleeping."

               "Yes it hurts just a little bit.  Now Yahiko listen to me.  I'm going to lift you on my shoulders.  You might have to climb on my shoulders by yourself okay?"

               "I can do it."

               The waves bounced up against Kaoru's body.  Somehow through the waves assault, Yahiko managed to make climb on her shoulders.  Kaoru felt like she was going to give away.  She was so weak, she nearly went down to her knees.  The waves reached her mouth almost up to her nose.  She could feel things brushing against her legs.  Yes it was horrifying, yet she had to deal with it.  Her hair which was once tied up neatly was loose and untamed, it unravel itself like seaweed in the incoming waves.

               "We can do this Yahiko."

               "Yes I know we can.  I'll save us no matter what Kaoru," he said.  He grabbed a ledge and made sure that supported his sister and him.  Kaoru went back to sleep.  As the waves receded Yahiko climbed down from his sister's limp form.  He decided to do what his sister mentioned to him earlier, and explored the cave, their prison.  He wandered around the cave searching for some fresh water to drink.  He felt the warm sun on his cool skin.  As he wandered off, he didn't hear his sister's panic.

               Kaoru got up from her weird dreams.  The same pictures she drew for Enishi, were the same pictures that wandered endlessly through her head.  Somehow the main character, his long blood red hair tied in a ponytail, his leaned muscular frame, his golden eyes forever haunted her.  In his presence she felt, she felt his deadly power, a need to imply to his wishes, yet in another way he was calm, gentle, understanding.  Kaoru felt like she knew him, or felt his aura before.  Was that why she was able to draw Enishi's characters for his new game so good?  He said it was like she could read his mind, like if she was in there before.  Another fact was, she felt some type of weird link to Shishio, even before he took her blood.  It was weird how she knew him, or felt him before he came near the restaurant.

               Kaoru opened her dazed sapphire eyes, but only to panic when she didn't see her brother.  Did the waves take him?  She failed miserably.  How could she ever live?  Knowing the fact that she lost her brother, she had no reason to live.

               Then all of a sudden Yahiko appeared.  Kaoru let out a huge gasp, her heart pounded fiercely.  Her head hurt terribly.  When will the suffering end?

               Yahiko looked as his sister.  He was afraid to admit it, but she looked horrifying, terrible.  Her lips, which were once so pink, were black and swollen.  Her clothes were tattered, ripped.  White salt covered her skin, giving her a horrendous  look.  Her raven hair, had white, grayish streaks that hung around covering the curves of her face.  Her legs had hundred beads of blood, where something nibbled away her skin.  Her voice sounded funny, her neck was wounded and raw.  Yahiko sat down near his sister and took her hand.

               Kaoru felt something, something uneasy stirred inside her.  She knew the exact instant when the sun set.  She looked at Yahiko with eyes full of fear.  The vampire arose from his slumber and was heading towards them.  She put an arm around Yahiko's shoulders, and drew him near her.  "He's coming.  Please get out of here as fast as you could."

               "But Kaoru," he protested.

               The look Kaoru gave him told him not to go any further.  But also he saw something else in her eyes, a look like love, and concern.  He looked at his sister love in his eyes.

               "I love you Kaoru," was all he said before he left her.

               The vampire walked further into the cave.  Then he saw his mistress of darkness.  She was a horrible sight to look at.  Her clothes completely torn, her skin pale white, her hair streaked with whitish grayish colors.  Her body completely splattered with droplets of blood.  She needed to feed tonight.  If she didn't then she was going to die.  He got closer to her, bent down, and raised her fragile wrist to his mouth.  Using his tongue, he licked the specks of blood from the wound the metal cuff gave to her.  Slowly his tongue made his way from her wrist to her neck.  He sucked her neck a little before his fangs sank into her neck deeply.  Kaoru was too weak to fight him.  All her energy lost, she was completely vulnerable, exposed to his liking.  He could do whatever he wanted and get away with it.  There was no one around to save her.  Not that it matter to her.  Her brother was safe.  Her life meant nothing.  She would rather die then become someone like him.  As he drank from her blood, her eyes shut, her body became languid.  She was suffering from the loss of blood and hypothermia.

               Shishio felt her body slump against his.  He had to catch her before she fell.  Her heart labored, her breathing shallow.  He had taken too much again.  He tore his wrist and clamped it over her mouth.  He forced her to drink the warm red liquid running through his veins.  He couldn't take control of her mind and force her to do his bidding.  He was till trying to find a way to control her brain.  Her pattern waves in her brain were different from a normal human's brain.  Each time he forced her to feed, he brought her closer to his dark world.  He would not allow her to die.  She needed to live to help him regain his emotions, to help him feel again.  And after from the lost of his beloved Yumi, he would not let the same faith happen this young woman.  

               Just then he stopped her from taking his blood.  He felt someone familiar dropped by in his lair.  "Come and see the hunter.  He's here and he's relentless," he said a dark seductive voice.

               Shishio hauled Kaoru as he went to welcome his uninvited guest.  His dark eyes searched within the shadows of the cave, looking for the hunter known as Battousai.  He dropped Kaoru carelessly to the floor as a figure came up before them.  But as fast it came, it went.

               She crawled into a corner, where she hugged her knees.  Her small form trembled both from fear and the cold.  She felt his aura, the same aura she felt from her dreams.  The man in her dreams was real.  As her mind was occupied in finding the figure she saw earlier, she felt small hands tugging at her legs.  She saw her brother Yahiko had come back to her.  Her heart thumped in both fear and happiness.  She should be mad at her brother for not obeying her order, and then again this was no time to get angry.  She hugged her brother, clutched him to her chest, so she could cover his eyes from the battle scene-taking place before her.

               Kaoru looked out into the battle scene.  Images swirled around so fast, she couldn't see what was going on.  The presence she felt from the vampire was fear and rage.  If he was that afraid of the hunter, then she had every reason to be afraid too.

               Out of a fog, a huge bird materialized.  It came so fast into the cave, the image was a blur.  Talons extended, glowing eyes gleamed intensely at Shishio.  A heavy fog swirled around the bird.  When it cleared Kaoru fought back the scream welling up in her throat.  She saw part bid form, part man.

               The creature soon became a man, not so tall, not so short either.  He had a leaned muscular shaped body.  His hair was so long, and the color of blood red, as it flowed with the wind.  His face shadowed, but she could see his eyes were a color of molten gold pinning the vampire with his intense gaze.

               "So Shishio we meet at last."  The voice was beautiful, forever haunting, the rippling of notes were so pure, she could listen to that voice forever.  He stood his ground, his picture so perfect, to Kaoru it reminded her of a samurai from Japan.  "I cleaned your messes all over town, and within the state.  Your challenge to fight me was something I couldn't resist."

               Shishio backed off, keeping distant from the hunter.  "I never challenged you.  As you know, I kept my distance from you."  He spoke out in fear, Kaoru went cold.  The hunter was so powerful, the way he carried about himself, was full of grace, he kept himself in a confident and calm manner.  The way he stood, struck fear in her heart.

               "You killed when it was considered forbidden.  You went against the natural laws."  The hunter titled his head examining the vampire carefully.

               Shishio thought it was enough talking.  He struck out at the hunter, bearing his fangs and his wicked claws.  The hunter easily moved aside and struck at his throat.  Red blood erupted from Shishio's throat causing him to hiss violently in pain.

               Kaoru horrified at the battle scene before her shielded Yahiko's vision when the vampire's blood sprayed on the floor.  She clutched him protectively.  She felt the vampire's pain since they were connected.  She couldn't believe when he shift-shaped into a wolf, bearing his fangs, moving with agility, her eyes couldn't even catch. As launched himself again and again, Kaoru could see blood emanating all over the floor.

               Shishio stopped before him.  "You think you're not like me.  You know you kill like me and you rejoice in it.  You love to hear people's pain, you feed in their fear, and you take advantage of your strength on the weaker souls.  You, Saitoh, Aoshi, and the others are all the same.  Both you and I know that."

               "You have broken our laws Shishio.  You chose to give your soul into the darkness, you chose power instead of life.  You also turned a human woman into a derange vampire, and for that you must pay."

               The vampire stood tall and strong, clutching to his wounds, as blood splattered all over the floor.  He positioned himself in an attacking stance, ready and waiting to strike his enemy.

               "You know you could never defeat me."  The way he said those words were so true.  Kaoru knew it.  He was not bluffing.  In this fight Kaoru saw he had the upper hand.  He talked so calm, so gentle.  The way he moved, Kaoru could see his muscles rippled through his black button down shirt.

               In a blink of an eyes the hunter moved with such agility; the hunter struck down his prey.  Fog swirled around him and the vampire leaving Kaoru to look at nothing but a dense cloud of fog.  Then she felt it.  A hard blow came within her chest, her body screamed out in pain, her throat to full and croaky made a gasp, and her sapphire eyes widen in fear.  Her mind went berserk; she knew the instant the vampire died.  She saw in her mind flashes of his memory.  She saw a time when he was younger, the time he first went to war, the time he met her; a young beautiful woman named Yumi.  The last vision she saw from Shishio's memories was the night he lost her and he fully gave himself into the darkness.

               Kaoru saw a body dropped onto the floor.  She clutched her brother and pushed him in back of her to protect him from the hunter.  Her sapphire looked at him in fear; her wounds throbbed in pain, her body screamed mercilessly, her heart thumped faster and loudly in fear.  The pain Shishio felt, was what she felt.  She could stand the pain no longer.  As she backed up, one pace at a time, she felt herself overcome with anxiety, as the fog disappeared.  Her heat labored then stopped.  Before her, molten eyes stared, as she fell into a deep slumber.


	3. Awaking Moment

Sorry I haven't update for such a long time with this story, however if it weren't for the nagging of my good friend Mariana, I wouldn't have post this chapter up online for quite awhile. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. To warn all of you, most of the ideas in this story is not my own. I borrowed the plot, the setting, and ideas from a book called Dark Gold by Christine Feehan. She's my favorite author so far. Do feel free to read the book if you like. This story is alike o that story, yet it has it differences. If you think I should stop writing this fic, then I'll gladly stop writing it. But ff.net is all about readers like us to expand our imagination. Oh Yeah, make sure you are old enough to read this story, because it's rated restricted for its contents.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series and Christine Feehan story and ideas, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money. I'm poor. : (

Awaking Moment

Chapter three

Battousai, weak and weary from his battle looked at the limp figure sprawled across the floor. The bloody battle took a lot of his strength and energy. Apparently he didn't bother to feed tonight before he came to fight Shishio. He was too busy cleaning up Shishio's mess before someone found about him and his people. 

He walked forward to the limp figure, hoping her blood can sustain him. His body pulsed with the need of blood, her blood. He knew just by watching her battered body what he had to do with her. A woman vampire only fed on the helpless, the innocent, mostly children. His job was to dispose anyone who would be a great threat to both mortal and immortal. Just by sensing her aura, Battousai could tell Shishio left her weak so he could control her easily. If he had any emotions left he would have felt sorry for what he was going to do next.

Battousai picked up the unconscious woman in his arms. He wiped the stringy hair away from her soft face, away from her delicate throat. He bent his head towards her throat, his fangs pierced her neck, and everything changed for him instantly. Colors danced around him, filling his vision with its scenery, with its warmth and beauty. His body acted up in such a weird manner, something he hadn't felt in centuries. Usually a Carpathian man who had roamed the earth for centuries was not able to feel things. As the days passed, if he failed to find his lifemate, his light to his darkness, he would lose all emotions, the ability of seeing colors. The darkness eventually claims the man, until either he chooses to live with darkness, becoming a vampire and feeding on the helpless, or he commits suicide by waiting for the rising sun to obliterate his body.

Her blood was hot, sweet, ever so addicting. He was aware that her pulse slowly reached into a halt. He no longer heard her blood rushing through her heart. He could feel the icy coldness on her skin, notifying her brink to lying between both worlds of life and death. He slowly laid her back on the ground, realizing what he did. If she truly was his lifemate, then he could not kill her. But how can a vampire woman be his lifemate? Could she be a vampire as yet? Maybe there still was time to save her. Before Battousai could move away from the limp figure, he felt someone hit his legs.

"Stop hurting my sis! She said you were going to come and save us, but you're just like him! You're slowly killing her just like the other monster! You're just like him!" yelled a younger boy, who stood before without any fear in his chocolate brown eyes. Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks.

From where Battousai stood, he was amazed he could the boy had chocolate brown eyes. For so many centuries, roaming the earth without having the ability to see colors, he grew accustomed to seeing everything black and white in front of him. Without being able to see colors, he also lost ability of feeling emotions. Every day, every single moment, his soul became consumed by darkness. The only thing to save him from ever turning into a vampire without his true lifemate was his priorities to his people.

"I am here to save both you and your sister," Battousai whispered absently as he knelt down to the limp figure next to him. He closed his eyes, and searched in the limits deep within her body. He could tell from her aura, she was giving up her life already. She was giving herself to the brink of death, letting it consume her very slowly.

Battousai had to give her some of his blood quickly in order for her live longer. His nail slashed his wrist. Without thinking he put his bleeding wrist in her mouth for her to drink. He felt her stir, her body automatically coming to life at the offering of his blood, however as fast as she woke up from her deep slumber, it only led her to struggle against him. 

__

You will not leave me. Take my blood, which I offer freely. You must drink to survive, he mentally commanded the young woman, but she didn't respond to him. Instead she struggled more against him. He could feel the last of her spirit almost wiping out on him. He changed his tactics, realizing it wasn't working. He knew that from her positioning before he fought Shishio, the boy must have meant something to her to keep her living then from dying. _You must live for your brother. He needs you right now more then you could ever know. Fight for him._

Finally leaving those words to persuade the almost dying young woman, he got her to drink from him on her own free will. Battousai realized from her will strength to survive, that she only did it for her dear brother.

"What are you doing?" the little boy demanded.

"Your sister lost a lot of blood tonight, so I must give her a transfusion," answered Battousai calmly. He knew the boy saw a lot of things tonight, terrible things that would give him nightmares. Battousai was impressed by the little boy's courage to try to stand up for his older sister, at her weakened condition, plus his bravery and the compassion he showed during his brief time of being here with them. He thought he offered the boy a logical explanation, with a simple planning when he got back home he would wipe off the boy's memory.

Throughout the night before the battle he had with Shishio, he had to dispose three bodies of the three females he killed last night. Within the memories of their friends and families, he wiped off their total existence so that no one can claim them missing. He also disposed of the old man's body, doing the same action as he did to the three females. By dawn however he lost track of the vampire's trail. He could only trust his intuition to get to the cave, where Shishio held two captives.

Now he had no choice but to take home the young boy beside him and the pitiful disfigured woman who was clearly the mate he had been seeking for centuries. Just by looking at her right now, Battousai couldn't tell what she really looked like. Her body was covered in bruises, cuts, and splattered blood. But he could tell by the torn up suit she worn, she had a curvy figure. This was the woman who brought back life into him gave him back colors and feelings he thought he lost for an eternity.

  
"What's your name?" Battousai asked the boy whom now knelt down to his sister. He thought about reading the boy's mind, but he thought that would be invading the boy's privacy.

"My name is Yahiko Kamiya. Is my sister going to be okay? The evil monster hurt her really bad."

"Well Yahiko, trust me when I tell you she's going to be okay. That bad man will never hurt another soul. I know someone who could look after her for me at my place."

"I don't think she'll like that idea of us staying at another person's house, plus her best suit is ruined for us. Now she won't get a good job to help support us." The boy sounded so forlorn, that he was about to cry at any given moment. He looked at Battousai for comforting.

Battousai gently stopped the young woman from feeding. He needed some energy if he had to transport them to his home, plus it took a lot of energy, time, and blood to heal another person. He didn't have that right now. Battousai shifted his moment, as he gently held both Yahiko and his sister in his arms.

"I need you to stay really close to your sister. She's very ill right now, and your presence will let her know that she's safe. If she say anything scary, don't take it on personally."

"Why would she say anything scary?"

"When people are very sick, a fever can make them delirious, so they don't know what they say. Most of the time the things that they say have to do with their fears or the people who they feel very close too."

Yahiko nodded solemnly in understanding. He bent down to kiss his sister's forehead, but she never responded. Her eyes remained closed; her skin remained very pale, and cold. He was afraid he lost her. 

Battousai watched from the distance. Watching them together brought a lump in his throat. He saw the look before in the eyes of the woman and the man who lived with him. Both of them shared feelings of love towards one another, just like how the young boy shared love for his sister.

Battousai looked away and went to do his normal hideous job. Even though the vampire was dead, he was not considered fully dead. He had to burn the remaining of the vampire's body. Walking to middle of the cave, Battousai concentrated on creating flames in his mind. Red shadowing blended with orange, rising higher and higher to he brink color of yellow. Deep embodied within the flames was a coloring of blue, which hid within the other shadowing of colors. When Battousai opened his eyes, right before him, he could see the same colors from his mind burning the remains of the vampire he killed. It left nothing but black ashes on the rocky, cold cave floor.

Within seconds Batttousai came back to Yahiko's side. He lifted the boy and the boy's sister in his arms and made his way home with them.

Battousai waited outside one of the rooms in his house. Moments after his arrival Yahiko was sent into another room, while the healer of his people, also known as one of the few last Carpathian women left in the world stayed behind to heal Yahiko's sister. He hoped the unconscious woman healed and would be better by tomorrow.

"Will she be okay?" Battousai asked as he sensed a familiar presence by the doorway.

"Yes she will be okay, however I don't know how many times the vampire fed from her. If I don't know that important information, then we will have to get rid of her," said the woman with sadness in her voice.

"I don't think that will be necessary Megumi. There's something weird about her, something that pushes me to her and wanting to get rid of her is something I won't let you do."

"Well yes Battousai, but I need the answer to the important information."

"Leave that to me. I'll let you know what I found out when I'm done dealing with her," replied Battousai as he left the healer of his people there standing in the hallway by herself.

Only a handful of Carpathian males were lucky to find what they were looking for their hold lives. From the moment they were born into the world, they knew their purpose, but only a few of them were ever so lucky enough to find their lifemates. When a Carpathian male was born, from the time he was young he was trained to protect the family. Since most of the Carpathian women died from the long terrible wars in the past, it became a duty of every single Carpathian male to guard Carpathian females. They became rare and true gifts. However their babies of female girls became less. They had more boys then girls, plus within the first year, most of them died. For Battousai to finally have been able to meet the woman who was meant to be his lifemate, the woman who he was going to spend the rest of his life with, really blessed him because he thought a day like this would never come to greet him.

As he walked into her new room to check upon her, he heard slight moans coming from the direction towards the bed. He saw her covered from neckline to her toes. Candles flickered beautifully beside her, across her pale skin. From the last time meeting, Battousai had with her, he couldn't recognize her now. Her skin, which had been paled before, looked somewhat flushed with color. He noticed her raven hair spread across the sheets like silken satin. He waited silently from the corner of the room for her to say something.

Kaoru awoke to find herself in a different place. For a moment she thought she woke up in the middle of heaven, but when she made an attempt to move her own body, she felt so much pain. The only thing she could do in bed was look around the unfamiliar room.

It was beautiful. Whoever owned this room had an eye for elegance and indulges the tastes. Her finger curled around the bed sheets as she felt a presence in this unfamiliar room with her.

"Yahiko," she called ever so silently. She realized it was not him, but some other person she didn't know. She hoped it wasn't another vampire that claimed her as his for some awkward reason.

"He's safe." The voice, so hypnotizing, beautiful, unearthly voice that surprised her earlier on, the same voice she would recognize anywhere spoke to her. She wondered if she was truly dreaming rather than awake.

"I don't see him. Where is he?" She couldn't move a muscle. She didn't bother to move anyway. Her whole body ached. Seeing her position and the stranger's position, she knew he had the upper hand on her. She waited for him to make his move, to see what he wanted to do with her.

"He's safe in the main room, with a couple of my trusted friends. No harm will come to him, after all he is under our protection as you are." His voice was so soft, so soothing, ever so gentle. She could feel the sound of his voice in her mind.

Kaoru closed her eyes, mainly because she was too tired to keep them open. "Who are you? What do you want to do with me?"

"My name is Kenshin Himura, however others know me as Battousai the Hunter. What I'm trying to do is help you, not harm you. Shishio I imagined wanted to keep you in a weakened state to control you. You're very dehydrated, your eyes are black and sunken, your lips cracked, and your body cells cry out for nourishment. His blood that he gave you is tainted. Your body will go through a conversion. I need to know exactly how many times he exchanged blood with you Ms. Kamiya."

She hardly digested his words except when he said the word conversion; her whole mind went in shock. Her voice which she struggled so hard to find came out in nothing more then a whisper. "What do you mean conversion? I can't be going through that, I don't want to be what you are! If you have to kill me in order for me not to be like you then do so!"

He shook his head. "No you don't understand. There's very little time to explain. We could do this two ways, the easier way, or the harder way. I recommend you to let me help you with this situation."

"My whole body hurts. Please bring Yahiko. I need him here with me."

"Yahiko is just a little boy. He thinks you are ill with the flu and a fever. He does not need to be traumatized or frightened any further. Do you not agree?"

"How do I know I could trust you?" asked Kaoru tiredly. Her whole body ached; her mind threatened to leave her, her heart pumped faster. "You're a vampire and vampires deceive people so they can get whatever they want from people like me."

I can assure you that he is fine. Like I told you before he's under the protection of my people. No harm will come to him. I can also assure you that I'm not a vampire. I'm Carpathian." His voice stayed calm. It never changed inflection. "Now I need to know how many times Shishio took your blood."

"You have a way to get people to do your bidding don't you? Isn't that what vampires do? You made Mr. Makoto afraid of you because you influenced him didn't you? You're deadly, dangerous aren't you? And here I am in the same room as you," she said nervously. She bit her lip; to only wince when bit her scrape blister and felt the throbbing pain of her sores.

"It has to do with my voice," Battousai replied indifferently. "Do you remember the story you told him earlier? You told him about someone rescuing both you and him from the clutches of Shishio. Well I'm him, and I promise I won't do anything to hurt you or him. Right now he's downstairs with my very well trusted friend who's a healer named Megumi Sagara, and she's also with her husband who takes cares of all the repairs in this house, named Sanosuke Sagara. They would never do a thing to hurt your little brother."

"But what about earlier incidents? He would have nightmares. He needs someone to ease his fears. I need to look after him tonight."

"Don't worry about that. My cook who is also a maid will tend to him personally. Her name is Tae. She'll watch over and treat him as though if he were her very own son. Yahiko's mind has been erased. He doesn't remember about the earlier events. He thinks your old friend Henry died from a heart attack. He also thinks that the couple of people living in this house and me are old friends of yours. He knows nothing more then that."

All of a sudden her questions, her worries were all put aside when she felt a sharp pain pierced throughout her body. She tried to scream, but her voice came out as a croak. She curled up in a fetal position to help her go through the pain, however the pain continued to rampage throughout her whole body. She felt like a thousand needles were prickling her everywhere causing her to cry out in pain and in anguish. She felt strong arms closed around her small figure. She heard a voice from a distance chanting, singing a soothing song in her ears, and easing her pain a little bit. As the pain started to fade, she felt him stroke her hair away from her face, while he turned her around to look at him. But what she saw made his her sapphire eyes widened in fear. His eyes, which were the color of molten gold, were the same piercing eyes that haunted her in her dreams. The bloody long red hair that she drew in her pictures for Enishi's game was the same. It all made sense, as well as astonished her. Before she could say anything, before she could push him away, the same pain she felt earlier in her body overcame her once again. Kaoru screamed out once more, but this time not only in pain, also in fear before she fell into a deep slumber once again.

Battousai watched her sleeping form laying on her new bed. He felt a need rise into him, a need to protect, to shelter her, to take away all her feelings of pain. He knew what he had to do. With his nail, he slashed his wrist open once again. Red blood poured freely from his wound. With a gentleness he never knew he possessed, he opened her mouth and gently commanded her to take his blood. Without hesitation she gulped down his blood in hunger and in need. However the impact of her bare lips just touching his wrist, made his whole body stiffened. It was from then on, he truly knew she was his, and his alone. The lifemate he waited for finally came to him. He was not going to let her go, even if it cost him his life. She had to live, not only for her brother but for him as well.

To truly make the sleeping woman his he said the magical words that will bind them for all time. _I claim you as my lifemate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body. I take into keeping the same that is yours. Our life, happiness, and welfare will be placed above my own for all eternity. You are my lifemate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care._

He repeated the ancient words both in his ancient tongue and regular English. He said words that will now keep them forever linked. No one can take her from him so easily. If she ran, he knew where he could always find her. The link between them became far stronger then any mortal can ever understand.

Battousai watched the young woman one last time, before exiting her room. He had to go hunting this night to replace the blood he used to heal her further. As he made his way downstairs into the study room to see if the young boy was still awake he ran into Megumi one last time.

"Battousai are you okay?" she asked him a worried tone as she ran to help him.

Battousai raised his hand to let her know he was fine. Just then Sanosuke, his old time friend walked into the study room to see what happened to Megumi. Apparently through their mental link between them, he felt Megumi's worry and went to her rescue.

"What happened Battousai? You look rather pale. You better hunt right now, or else within a couple of hours will be dawn and your powers will fade," said Sanosuke as he snaked an arm around Megumi.

"I will go, but I wanted to see how the boy is doing that's all," replied Battousai. He just turned away from the two, while he made his way to the front door.

"Tae is tending to his every need. All he asked for was his sister's company tonight though. He said he hopes he could see he tomorrow if he may," said Megumi calmly.

"That's good to hear. Now I must leave. However I have one question to ask you."

"Go ahead Battousai, ask away if you wish," replied Megumi as she bowed to him. Just then Tae passed down a long coat for Battousai to wear. Megumi thanked her silently with a pleasantly, mannerly look.

"Is it possible for a human to be a lifemate to a Carpathian male?" asked Battousai. He felt his whole body posed into an alert system as he waited for an answer from either Megumi or Sanosuke.

"I have heard a legend about it. Nothing more. Why do you ask sir?" asked Megumi with curiosity etched in her voice.

"I know the woman laying upstairs in the room is my future lifemate." With those, Battousai absconded in the darkness, leaving a shocked Megumi, and a dumbfounded Sanosuke.


	4. The Conversion and Moments of Truth

Sorry I haven't updated this story for the longest time, but it takes me forever to write this story down.  I hope many of you can forgive me for not being able to update my other stories, but I will get to them as soon as possible.  Oh yeah, please read the story from Deseray since she started her two new fics, called Chances and Little Earthquakes.  It's a way of thanking her for helping me to write this story.  She's a great writer.   To warn of all you, most of the ideas in this story are not my own.  I borrowed the plot, the setting, and the ideas from a book called **Dark Gold** by Christine Feehan.  She's my favorite author so far.  Do feel free to read it.  The story is a lot like hers, except it has it differences.  Please if you are too young, don't read it.  If you are reading it, then read at it at your won risk.  If you don't want me to continue the story, then I shall stop writing it.  This is a place where people can expand their imagination so please remember that.  Well, enjoy the story!

AN- The weird dreams that Kaoru gets sets this different from the book.  Her dreams have something to do with the game in which Enishi is making.  It sets her dream world apart from reality, yet it links them together.  You will understand later on in the chapters.  Feel free to e-mail with any questions, ideas or comments, but please don't leave flames.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series and Christine Feehan story and ideas, so please don't sue cause I don't have any money. : (

The Conversion and Moments of Truth

Chapter Four

                Battousai prowled through the night, in search for helpless prey.  His mind was now in red haze, demanding him to feed.  His teeth ached for the longing of fresh red blood.  Across from a distance, many miles away from his so called home, he sensed three men in a dark alley.  He could smell their sweat; hear their crude laughter, as they waited for a lost soul to brighten their night.  

                Here in Untied States a couple of the Carpathians chose to come to do their duty to both the human race and the Carpathian race.  A long time ago the Dark One, leader of the people, chose Carpathian men to go throughout the world to rid the earth of enemies known as vampires.  Many Carpathian men lost women, who were to be their lifemates during the old wars, creating most of the Carpathian male species to out number, the females.  Eventually a hypothesis came out where it was said a few human women, who had special physic abilities were able to be true lifemates to his species.  Though this was said, the hypothesis was never truly put to a test, for the fear that an innocent life would be put into immense danger.  For Battousai, as time passed in United States, he learned to like diversity of the place, the seasons, and the different people.  It became somewhat his home.

                Silently, he moved through the dark alley, making his way to the three men whom waited so deliberately for their luck to take advantage of a helpless soul.  His muscles rippled as he stalked toward his prey.  Their mutterings were loud, even though he lowered his hearing, wanting to escape the assault on his over sensitive senses.  The overwhelming emotions and colors, which he didn't experience for so many centuries, were now taking their toll on him.  One part of his mind focused on getting his prey, while the other focused on the beauty of the night.  Never had he seen how beautiful the clouds, the stars, and the moon were.  They took his breath away.

                To relax the tension from his rippling muscles, Battousai took a deep breath.  Slowly steadying himself, he focused on the real task that brought him into this dark alleyway.  Then he made his way down the alleyway, calling forth a message. He did not have to if he wanted to.  The predator in him, wanted to have a good battle, yet, he did not have the time to indulge himself for entertainment.  He had other things to focus on now, like, her.  The woman whom he saved from Shishio's clutches the one who made him see color again.  There were so many times, the predator broke free in him, wanting, and waiting to kill, ready to splash-red blood on his prey.  The vampire almost came out in him, especially when he faced Shishio.  After that battle he found something he waited for his entire life.  Now he wouldn't let himself be lost to his predator side.  He would not let down his will or intelligence to another creature he despised so much.

                Battousai moved through the alleyway, as he predicted three men started following him.  One man smoked, his pungent aroma, which shifted into the air.  The other two men followed their hands in their jacket, reaching for their man made weapons.  Their eyes were slightly gazed, as though they were drugged stoned to death.  It bothered Battousai that they were doing drugs, but blood was blood.  The drugs they were doing, was not going to affect him so easily.

                "Did you know it's cold out on the street at night?" asked Battousai as he slipped an arm around one man.  He took him away from prying eyes into the shadows of the dark alleyway to drink his blood.  The other two men pushed at each other, eagerly waiting to be next to see him.  However, their unwashed bodies and useless minds sickened him.  He did need the blood, so he shall take what he could get.  Sometimes his mind wondered why men like these were created?  For what purpose were they put on earth?  His kind, were intelligent.  None were like this kind, the human kind, in which people would go so low as give their lives to the damned.  These were the types of people vampires hunted for, wanted.  They hungered for power and these types of people were easily controlled.

                The man, whom Battousai fed upon, fell helplessly to the ground.  The men under hypnotic of his mind, went to him, easily, eager to gain his attention.  He fed urgently on the other men then let their bodies fall into a heap on the ground.  He needed nourishment, and he specifically chose men who preyed on the weak, who were no better then the average monster.  They were cruel to their women, and had no obligation to their most precious treasure, their children.  Anyway who cared how this got this way?  They chose to be like this, while if they were Carpathian males, they would have instincts as a predator, but they would never abuse a woman or a child.  No matter what, they would accept the responsibility of their most precious treasures. 

                As Battousai finished his feeding, he sensed another's pain in him.  He could sense their confusion, their fear, and their anguish.  From the distance, she reached out to him, opening her mind for him to feel what she was feeling.  She was in pain, her fragile body, still finding ways to heal from the earlier incident.  Her body crying out for nourishment, as her body once again repeated the process she went through earlier.  Apparently the conversion never ended and he was responsible for her outcome.  For the first time, feelings over swept him; as his form shivered from an intense emotion, fear.  Guilt over swept him as well, but most likely, the woman who would be stuck with him for a lifetime, would easily give herself to death, if there were no existence of her brother at all.  The woman already had two marks on her neck, meaning the vampire only exchanged blood with her twice.  Battousai almost killer her, thinking she turned into a vampiress.  Thank God, that he realized his mistake before killing her.  He regretted what he eve did to her.  Earlier he exchanged blood with her, the only way he could get to her to fully change into what he was, was he needed to exchange blood with her once again.  With enough of his blood in her veins, he would be able to dilute the blood the vampire gave her.  Her transformation would hopefully go from a deranged vampiress to a Carpathian woman.   Her fear for her brother being alone with a man or monster that killed another strange creature within moments kept her alive.  She was willing to live for her brother, knowing that he was alive and needed her protection.  It kept her from giving herself to the dark.

                Battousai swept into the air, his lean, muscled frame turned into a beautiful owl, which owned the sky at night.  The woman in distress needed him.  He could feel Tae's distress also, her mind wandering what she could say to calm the woman in pain.  They both needed him right now.  As Battousai flew through the air, he did not care if many people saw a beautiful large owl sweeping through the heavens.  The distance between him and his woman grew much closer, as he neared his home.  He could still feel the woman's pain, confusion, and fear amounting to terror.   

                He flew to her.  She called out to him, wanting him to come to her.  Her mind needed his close contact, since he bind them together using his ancient words.  

                Outside the underground chamber, he could feel her pains rummaging through his heart, piercing him all over, and compelling him to come to her.   Her faith was to believe him the helper and not a monster.  Her hopes, was for her brother to be well under the care of total strangers, ones in which she planned not to open so well too.  He wanted to kick open the door, but her pain; her cries called him, to his sanity.  She did not want have anymore fear, for her body was already undergoing too much stress.  He rested his forehead against the doorframe, and then was shocked to see a crimson stain among the sheets on the bed, while Tae was in the room with the pained young woman.  He was sweating in blood, her agony, her pain, her cries, her feel of terror and confusion, called to him, beckoned him, yet he remained where he stood.  The physical agony he could take, but when it came to heart and mind, barriers began to break.

                It seemed like am endless nightmare, one in which he could not live in.  He knew exactly what was going on in the room.  He knew when the young woman struggled to crawl, hoping the pain would be easier to go through with body stretched out.  He knew when Tae tried her best to cradle the woman, and then the woman vomited blood on the floor.  The tainted blood was the vampire's whom thought could claim her.  He felt her insides burning, as they rebelled against the mutations.  Internal organs were reshaping and becoming new organs.  Her cells, muscles, tissues, and skin were on fire through the transformation.  What she went through before was nothing what she was going through now.

                Yet deep down inside Battousai hoped this woman was truly his lifemate.  He hoped he would not lose her, even though she was living for her brother.  He needed her to live.  Without her, he would choose sunset to die, and then turn into a vampire.  _The transformation would be successful and she would not turn into a deranged vampiress, _Battousai hoped.

                _Where are you?  You promised to help me?  Where are you right now?_  He waited so long for an invitation.  He thought he was hallucinating when it finally came.  He hit the door with the flat of his hand.  As he entered the room, he saw Tae struggling on holding the young woman.  Her stained tear face looked up at Battousai, pleading him to help her.

                Battousai nearly dragged the young woman away from Tae's arms.  Cradling her body in his over protective arms he ordered Tae out of the room for the moment.  Tae just looked at Kaoru with sympathy and then looked at Battousai with accusation and smoldering anger.  She smartly left the room and all that could be heard was the large slamming of the door.

                The moment Tae left the room, Battousai gently looked down at the woman he was holding.  Gently he rocked her back and forth, trying his best to soothe her.  "You thought I deserted you didn't you honey?  I didn't.  I am here as I promised.  I will doing everything in my willpower to help you."

                Kaoru turned her face away from Battousai.  Her face was drenched with humiliation for him to see her in her disheveled state.  _Wait, why did she care what he thought of her?_  She didn't have time to dwell on her question, for a new pain clawed its way up her stomach and around her liver area.  The intense pain caused her to cry out once again.  She felt a blowtorch slamming at her heart and veins.  Her cries echoed through the room, as the walls showered her with her own screams of pain.  She wished the pain could stop so she could breathe properly, but it continued on.  It never ceased, for she continued to cry, her tears dropping to the floor like splattered jewels.

                Battousai thumbed away the tears to only have his hand stained with blood.  He breathed for he; he breathed for them both.

                Battousai's touch was soothing and cool to Kaoru's already heated skin.  His soothing chants were like her anchor to the sane world.  After sometime Kaoru realized the pain wasn't as intense as it was before.  Somehow he took a part of her pain away from her, keeping it for himself.  He was there in her mind, shielding her from the scorching burns of her pain, keeping them from driving her insane.  It was like he was completely aware what was going on in her body.  Her mind seemed hazy, as if she were in a dream state.  She could see her agony in his golden eyes, as he stared down at her.  The smudge of blood smeared across his forehead.

                When the terrible spasms finished their horrible deeds to her body, she gently raised her hand to his face, to touch him, to see if he was really there and not a figment in her mind.  "You came after all," she said huskily.  Her throat swelled from the long process of pain she inhabited.  "You didn't forget.  It hurt."

                "I did come Kaoru, like I promised.  I took away some of the pain from you, but I couldn't do more then that.  The vampire's blood was poisonous, therefore it caused the process to be more hurtful then ever."  He said it with honesty, humbleness, regret, and remorse.  All these emotions were so new to him. 

                "How could you do what you just did?"  Kaoru's tongue touched her lips softly, but the pain of the sores, caused her to cry a little.

                "Through the blood we shared together, it brought us closer.  It called me to you when you were in pain.  That was how I came to you."  Slowly and gently, he bent down to kiss her lips.  His salvia, which had the power to heal, soothed the tender flesh of Kaoru's pink lips.

                "I'm so tired.  I don't want to think anymore.  I feel like going to sleep and never wake up again."

                "Don't say that.  You have live for your brother.  He needs you," _like I do._  Battousai rocked her back and forth, cradling her little fragile frame in his arms.  He held her as if she was the most precious possession ever.  He was there in her body, in her mind, sheltering her, bidding her to live and not give herself to the darkness.  Her finger encircled his arm.  Her blue eyes looked into his golden liquid eyes.

                "I don't know anymore."  Then with a huge pain rose inside her, dwelling around her heart area, her voice shattered into a scream, which echoed through the dimmed room.  Her scream went right back at her, repeating in her ears.  Her hand clutched onto her chest, while her other hand grabbed onto Battousai's arm.  Her blue eyes pleaded him to help her, to find someway to end the pain.  Her body finally arched, shifting away from his comfortable embrace to the corner side of the bed.  Then her body stiffened at the final impact as both hands clutched to her heart.  Images of swirling red came to her vision.  The blood bath, the golden eyes that then turned to burning amber.  The eyes of the hunter looking at her, the prey.  The drawings she did for Enishi Yukishiro, they were there in her mind.  The man before her was a monster, not a gentle creature.  He was a vampire like the other.  He wanted to take her life, to make her like him.  No she must not be like him.  And then her breathing stopped, her heart ceased to pump.

***

                Walking down to the study room once more, he heard the soft footsteps of the young maid who helped assisted with his woman.  Silently battling with himself whether he should explain the situation to the woman or not, he never noticed when another form entered the room.

                "Battousai," said a soft womanly voice from the distance.

                Shocked from being discovered on not being on the alert side, Battousai turned his attention to the healer of his people, one of the few females Carpathian left in existence.  They were precious to his male race.  They were only hopes to the male salvation and bearing children who may someday have their own children.

                "How is she?" asked Battousai.  He hoped his inquiry earlier was correct.  He hoped his lifemate was to live as a Carpathian and not a deranged vampiress or else he would have no choice but to kill her and then himself.

                "Her heart has shut down, so her mind would not be able to think.  From the last exchanging of blood, I believe there may be a chance she won't become a vampiress."

                "No!" Battousai demanded.  He refused to hear what the woman before him was saying.  He refused to believe Sanosuke's woman.  He knew Kaoru was his woman and his woman alone.  She had special powers; he knew when he first laid his eyes on hers, that she was his.  Why else was he able to see colors?  When a Carpathian male saw colors it meant that they found their woman, their salvation.  "She's my lifemate, and because of that she will be a female Carpathian.  No less then that."  With that Battousai left the woman healer to think, while he went to sleep next to his woman.

***

                The sun began to set and a disturbance came into the chamber where Battousai slept with Kaoru.  He heard the telephone ring upstairs.  He knew when a nervous Megumi picked up the phone.  Battousai smiled a pleasant smile.  Behind the tensed foxy woman, Sanosuke stood; ready to defend his lifemate and the residence in which they were residing in.

                Battousai arose from his bed.  His body was strong and supple.  His golden gaze moved to the young woman next to him.  What he saw there made his body stiffened in shock, and his mind tried to comprehend what was going on.  Kaoru was beautiful!  There were a few scars marring on her beautiful soft skin, otherwise then that, she was extremely beautiful, her skin flawless and healthy looking.  Her lips were soft and lush, dying to be kissed.  Her eyelashes were long and heavy.  She was younger then he imagined and she belonged to him.  His body all of a sudden responded to the vulnerable stranger lying in his bed.  The sudden ache shocked him. Amazing how he had known her for such little time.  For the consideration of time they were like strangers, yet when he was in her mind, he knew her secrets, her intimate moments of life that would take someone a lifetime to find out.  He bent his head and brushed a soft kiss to her tender forehead.  The kiss was for her courage to saving the people whom she held dear to her, her capacity for loving others, and the natural goodness she carried within her heart.  But his action only caused the ache to deepen. 

                Hastily he put distance between him and temptation lying on his bed.  It had been six hundred years and this surpassed anything he ever felt before.  This was no mild feeling to please his pleasures.  This was for real.  It was more then that; it had more meaning to it.  He needed her now, more then the word needed mean.  Just her being young and beautiful rather then the hag he mistaken her for, only made him want her endlessly more.

                The caller above was yelling at Megumi.  Clearly from man's tone, Battousai could tell the man was obviously used to having his own way with things.  He had to be rich or something.  He was demanding to see Kaoru Kamiya.  He went so far that he threatened Megumi with deportation if she didn't provide any useful information about Kaoru to him.  Her accent he thought made her vulnerable.

                Fangs exploded From Battousai's mouth, his golden eyes turned to vicious smoldering amber, as the beast in him grew stronger then ever.  The need to protect his woman and his family, called to the beast, forcing him to kill the threat in which poised to the ones who were precious to him, including his woman.  Could it be that the man who asked for Kaoru could make him so envious?  Because he was feeling so angry- someone called his house to know about his woman- that someone was yelling at not only a woman he considered family, but someone who under his protection arose the beast in him.  He recognized at this point that he had to work on self-control, especially if he was going to be around Kaoru.  He did not want hurt Kaoru anymore.  She suffered enough for the past few days.  A low hiss escaped his throat as he floated upstairs into the kitchen, through the long passageway that led to presence of Megumi.  He walked faster then the human eye could see.  To him and his people, it was second nature.

                "You better produce Kaoru Kamiya in appearance, or else I will call the police!  I think this is foul play!  You have something to do with party!" yelled the man over the phone.  His voice could be heard a mile away.  He yelled at Megumi as though as if she was an insect, and he could crush her easily under his foot.

                "She will be out sometime in the future.  Right now she is not feeling to well," answered Megumi politely, not taking his threats seriously.  She stood there completely well poised.  Her right hand held in the air to ward off the over protective Sano from taking the phone and doing something he might regret.  Her left hand held the phone while her eyes twinkled with amusement.  Battousai smirked when he saw Megumi handling herself pretty well.  If it was one of the things he liked about Megumi, was in ways she was too cunning for someone to mess with.  As a Carpathian woman who existed for a long while, she knew the extent to her powers.  She had special gifts and the man on the phone speaking to her was nothing but a toy for her.

                "I better be able to see her!" yelled the voice once again acting childishly.

                Megumi only smiled sweetly, which made Sano malevolent in nature.  Before Megumi knew what was happening, she heard the man on the other end of the phone choked.  He gasped for air, as he tried so hard to speak.  And then all of a sudden the other end of the phone clicked.  Megumi turned her head to look at Battousai and then Sanosuke.

                "Don't look at me."  Battousai pointed to Sanosuke giving the man a feral smile.  Knowing what to expect, he turned and left the room.  Megumi's wrath was something no one should ever mess with.

                "Why the hell did you do that for?" yelled Megumi.

                "I didn't kill him, I swear!"  The bashing, the rather violent couple could be heard throughout the house.  Megumi was only swearing, while Sano tried so hard to convince her, that he did not mean to what he did.   Perfectly the logical explanation to the whole scene was Megumi was getting all too sweet with the man at the other end of the phone.  Sano didn't like the attention she was giving the other man and took action.  The Carpathian male as mentioned before had protective instinct over his treasure.  Sano's treasure was Megumi, and that's why Sano acted the way he acted.  If Battousai were in the same position with Kaoru he would have done the same thing.

                He just walked away from the house into the darkness in search of food tonight, because when Kaoru awakes from her deep slumber, Battousai will not have it easily at all with her around.

***

Later on that evening the doorbell rang.  Tae ran hurriedly to open the door, expecting it to be the police in which the guy threatened he would do earlier to Megumi.  As Tae ran to the door to open it she noticed something different.  When she opened the door, she saw a tall handsome man standing there, his aqua eyes fixed intently on her.  In his one hand he held his sunglasses, in the other hand he held a leather brief case.

                "Sir, please state your reason for being here," asked Tae timidly.  By the appearance of the man at the doorway, she did not feel safe at all.

                "I came here to see Kaoru Kamiya.  Is she feeling better?  I need to see her, to talk about urgent matters," said the strange man.  His brooding eyes never the woman.

                Abruptly before he can say anything, a cold feeling swept over him.  He had the distinct feeling that something wasn't right about the place, that something stalked him.  Wildly he looked around the immaculate yard in search of what he felt, but he found nothing close to the description.  The yard was beautiful, peaceful, and ever so quiet.  Yet when he looked back at the woman, the woman he believed he spoke too earlier on the phone, he felt the impression that the house was dangerous.

                "Sir, are you alright?"  The words barely registered in his mind, as he felt his heart thundered from fear.  Since when did he start feeling this way?  Since when did he fear for something?  He had the right to see the young woman named Kamiya.  She was going to be working for him, after all when he first met her she needed the job desperately.  And then out of nowhere, a figure closed in, one, which held such divine beauty and confidence.  The man was dressed elegantly; his long blood red hair tied into a high ponytail.  It was then Enishi, stopped breathing for a second.  The man looked vaguely familiar.  It was like he saw the man before, but he couldn't place where he saw him.  The recognition shocked him.  Knowing the surroundings at last, Enishi stopped daydreaming and went back into the real world.  He held up his hand in peace, hoping he could straighten out the situation.

                "Look, I'm sorry we started off the wrong direction.  I never meant for things to be handled the way they were handled.  It's just that when I found out that a dear friend of mine went missing, I needed to make sure she was fine.  My name is Enishi Yukishiro."

                Battousai recognized the name immediately.  The rising name of the computer-games industry, the imagination behind the astonishingly popular vampire video games had come to call.  Battousai raised one skeptical eyebrow, his face expressionless.  "Am I suppose to know you?"

                Enishi watched in horror at the other man.  The interview automatically changed roles.  Now instead of being in charge of the game, he was just the pawn, and the other man, the rook.  For some reason the soft-spoken man, scared the hell out of Enishi.  For some reason behind the calm face, Enishi felt a predator strong and ready to come out on the surface at any moment in time.  Enishi knew he had to be careful what he said.

                Enishi took a deep breath and tried again.  "Kaoru and I were dining two nights ago, when she claimed she wasn't feeling well.  She raced from the restaurant without taking her portfolio.  I know that this is very important to her; she would never left it if she was all right.  An old man was claimed to have a heart attack outside the restaurant.  A terrible storm broke loose, and I tried my best to stop her from running into it for the fear of her safety, yet I failed too.  She worried me.  The next day her car was found in the parking lot, until your friend or caretaker removed the vehicle from the premises."  Enishi gave a good sum amount of money to an attendant to find out that private information.

                "Kaoru Kamiya is a close personal friend," Battousai told Enishi.  "Her younger brother waited for her outside the restaurant.  Until she became ill, he called me and I brought them here.  She is still quite ill and can't receive any visitors.  I am certain she will be pleased to have you return her briefcase.  I will tell her you called."

                The smooth pleasant voice made it clear to Enishi, that he meant nothing to other man.  For a strange reason he wanted the man to respect him.  He was so close to giving up the brief case, when all of a sudden; he realized what he was doing.  "I'm sorry I didn't get your name."  He said almost immediately.  He wasn't going to be pushed around any further.  How did he know what the other man said was the truth?

                The other man smiled a predator smile showing perfect white teeth.  His golden eyes held no warmth in it.  Instead it looked at Enishi with danger, with nothing but coldness.

                "My name is Battousai Himura.  I believe we both attended the party for Senator Hiko a year ago, though we were never introduced.  I seem to call you make up games."  
  


                Enishi winced.  The voice was musical, so pure that he wanted to hear it again and again.  It only made the man seemed familiar.  Is that where he saw him?  Is that why he looked so familiar?  Enishi would let that convince him for now.  Enishi was a famous man for his games, for his imagination.  Somehow the games came to him at ease, like he knew the dark world.  Compared to Battousai Himura, he was a sought man, but if Battousai rejected him outright, the other businessmen would reject him as well.  It was that much importance Battousai held in the industry world.

                "I really must be present to give Kaoru her work.  She was eager for a job, and I am certainly eager to give it to her."

                "Well, her brother now resides here.  For Kaoru, due to her illness, we thought it would better to give her the personal care she needs before she gets back onto her feet," inquired Battousai as held out his arm to the woman next to him.  Never did he forget she was there, listening to their conversation.  "Her sudden illness advanced the moves from the apartment to here.  Any personal property should be given to me, since she is under my protection and I always take care of my own."

                That strange moment, Enishi free handily gave up Kaoru's briefcase to the man who stood before him.  He wondered what made him do such a thing.  The way the other man caressed the leather brief case with his thumb made it look like the relationship between him and Kaoru was intimate.  And that made Enishi envious.  Just what was Battousai Himura to Kaoru?  A man like Battousai Himura would eat the innocent Kaoru alive.  Enishi forgot his surge of simplicity, his main reason for being here.  He found Kaoru to be an extremely talented artist, whose work fit his description perfectly.  He wanted her for the job and that was what he came to notify her about.

                "Thank you for coming by this evening Mr. Yukishiro.  I will personally tell Kaoru you came over with her portfolio.  I have several other appointments I have to attend to.  In a couple of days Kaoru will contact you or I will contact you personally about her progress."

                "Good evening sir," said the maid, as she closed the front door softly, and left Enishi standing outside the door like a jerk.

***

                Battousai turned to Tae and gave her a soft look.  Something he couldn't do for centuries to a human being.  "Did the jerk hurt you?"

                She laughed lightly at his caring question.  " I don't think he upset me as much as he upset you.  I didn't know Kaoru had another rich man after her.  I guess now you have a rival and the reward is the promise of Kaoru's affections.  A famous millionaire he is."

                "He does not have a chance with her.  He is too old for her."

                Megumi and Sano who now entered the kitchen laughed open heartily at what Battousai said.

                "Like you're not too old for her, more like centuries old," Sano mentioned.  He moved back slightly when he saw Battousai molten gold eyes looked at him with accusation.

                "Talk about joking," said Megumi softly.  "You can't joke around with Battousai at all."

                Battousai turned to look at both Tae and Megumi.  For the first time he smiled at them.  His smile reached his golden eyes.

                "I think the boy needs to see his sister.  He lost to much in his already short life," said Tae softly.  It was just a suggestion she made.

                "He's such a sweet child.  He already has Sano wrapped around his little finger," Megumi pointed out.

                "It's you who weeps for him and always try to make him feel at home.  You make poor Tae fill his plate of food," said Sano half heartily, plus aware of Megumi's temper.

                "I will talk to the boy later and tell him he could see his sister, for she is dying to know how he is," said Battousai seriously.  "It's for the boy she lives."

                "That's when she wakes up," Tae corrected with a frown.  She didn't want the boy to see illusions or to know anything about the dark world.

                "She is the true one.  Don't you see it already?  She's the light in me.  She made me see colors and feel emotions once again.  She will wake as one my people.  She will have resistance against who she has become, but not in front of the child.  She loves him very much and will appear normal to him.  He has been her prime motivation for years and she will continue to be that prime motivation.  She will appear as normal; for she would never do anything to make her brother think anything is wrong.  I suspect that little Yahiko will accept me.  That though, will only be half the battle."

                "Battousai!" yelled little Yahiko as he ran into the room, hugging Battousai's leg.  "I've been looking for you everywhere.  Megumi told me your room was on third floor.  When I went there, you were no where to be found."

                "I told you to stay away from Battousai's rooms," said Megumi trying her best to scold the little boy, yet she couldn't stop the laughter her eyes couldn't conceal so easily.

                "I'm sorry, but I had to find Kaoru.  Don't you know where Kaoru is located?" asked Yahiko with a helpless tone in his voice.  Battousai could sense his concern for his older sister.

                "Kaoru is here.  She would never leave you," said Battousai assured him.  "She will always be here.  We would look after her so that no one would ever take her away from us.  You know I will protect her and not be easily defeated.  No one will take her from the two of us.  Is that a deal?"

                Yahiko grinned at him trustingly.  "We are best friends aren't we?"

                "Hey I thought I was your best friend Battousai," said Sano childishly.  Megumi just looked at him and the nodded at him with sympathy.

                "We are more then just best friends," replied Battousai soberly.  "We are a family."

                "I have to go to school, but Kaoru takes me.  She thinks it's not safe to walk to school by myself."

                "Well, then Tae will accompany you if you like," said Battousai softly.

                "No I would like if you would take me to school, since Kaoru can't take me," said the little boy innocently.

                "You little devil.  I see where Kaoru has a soft spot."

                "Yeah, Kaoru lets me have anything I want.  When I do something I am not supposed too, she tries hard to yell at me to end up hugging me instead."

                "I believe you have the rights to your life.  You will learn the importance of right and wrong."  Battousai lifted the child up, looking at with such tenderness.

                "You don't ever yell do you?  That's good.  You are my best friend and part of my family."  The young boy hugged Battousai with warm affection that it touched Battousai's heart.

                "I will go with Tae, but if you can't come then please let Sano come.  He would scare away the big bullies from messing with me."

                Sano moved away from Megumi's side and walked to the little boy cracking his knuckles.  Megumi glared at him for his offense action.  "Yes Sano will scare them and nothing more," confirmed Megumi.

                "Okay now time to eat your food," said Tae softly as she called to the young boy.

                "Yeah!  Aunt Tae, you certainly can cook food better then my older sis," cheered Yahiko as Battousai put him down.  Battousai smiled at the young boy.  For a long time he knew people who cared for him, who had been loyal to him.  Now that he could feel emotion, he was overwhelmed with happiness to know he had a family he could call his own.

                "We won't tell that to Kaoru now," he said quietly.

                "He just likes to compliment me and lick the frosting from the spoon," said Tae laughing once again.

                Yahiko shook his dark head so hard, that he felt dizzy when he stopped.  His voice was solemn, his eyes filled with honesty.  "No Tae.  Kaoru is a bad cook, she burns everything."


End file.
